New changes to COVID-19 contact tracing process in Illinois

ILLINOIS (KFVS) - The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is making changes to their COVID-19 contact tracing process as of Tuesday, December 29.

According to the Southern Seven Health Department (S7HD), individuals that get a COVID-19 test in the lab and received a positive result will be contacted by text message or by a phone call.

Southern Seven Health Department said the text message initializing the contact tracing process is part of a broader change that IDPH is scheduled to implement by mid-January.

The new message will display the following text:

‘IDPH COVID: There is important info for you. Call 312-777-1999 or click:”

The new text message by IDPH does not confirm your test results. You can call the number listed or wait until a Southern Seven Health Department contact tracing team member contacts you.

“We’re still waiting on final details of how the state’s new Contact Tracing process is going to work,” said Nathan Ryder, community outreach coordinator for S7DH′s COVID-19 response team. “For now we know that IDPH is hoping to make the Contact Tracing process more centralized so that our team members can spend more time focusing on outbreaks and other COVID-19 critical care situations that may occur across our seven county region. We believe this is all part of the process to wind down the pandemic response and move to an endemic-type response.”

Individuals can schedule a vaccine appointment with S7HD by calling 618- 634-2297 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

To find other vaccination locations near visit the website.

Organizations wanting to host a clinic in their community can apply online.

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